ahhhh... Winnipeg

Ben and Ang had a funny list about being from Winnipeg on their blog. I had to repost it here to make any former Winnipeggers laugh. I don't know if this is funny if you still live in Winnipeg.. or if you never lived in Winnipeg.. but its certainly hilarious to me!

Winnipeg has its own version of traffic rules. Never forget that downtown Winnipeg is composed in large part of one-way streets. The only way to get out of the center of town is to turn around and start over when you reach the river. All directions start with, 'Go down Portage.'

The 8:00 a.m. Rush hour is from 6:30 to 9:30a.m. The 5:00 PM rush hour is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

If you actually stop at a yellow light, there's no chance you're from Winnipeg. Yellow lights are for sissies.

Lagimodiere Blvd. Can only be pronounced by a native Winnipegger, so do not attempt the phonetic pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. (And let's not forget Noter Dayme! And of course, Portidge.)

Bugs and Perogies are a way of life. Deal with it.

Construction on the Winnipeg streets in summer is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. (Especially those dopey-looking city workers holdingup signs in traffic that say in big orange letters 'SLOW'. )

Many bizarre sights can be explained simply by realizing, 'Oh, we're in Transcona!'

Construction crews aren't doing their job properly unless they close down all lanes except one during rush hour.

If someone actually has his turn signal on, it was probably left on at the factory where the car was made.

Buying a Winnipeg street map is a waste of money since the termination or continuation of any street is entirely at the discretion of the Works Department of the City: e.g.: Salter, Isabel, Balmoral, Colony, Memorial, Osborne, Dunkirk. You've gone two miles down the same road and the name changes seven times.

Exit and entry ramps on the Perimeter Hwy. are just the recommended way of entering and exiting, feel free to exit at any grassy point you wish.

Going South to you means Grand Forks.

Your 1 July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

You find 0 degrees 'a little chilly.' But it is still t-shirt weather.

Domestic Bliss

Being on holidays meant that I could spend some good times in the kitchen, something that I enjoy when unhurried, not so much when I'm rushed - then it becomes a chore. I cooked a couple of meals for good friends, kept lots of healthy snacks around (it also helped that it was only Bren and I, food hung around for a lot longer than when the kids are constantly scavenging for snacks!) Thought I'd post a couple of favorite summer recipes today.

Bean Salad
(this is a good one!! Really - bean salad was always a last option for me ... until I ate this one!)

1 lb green beans, fresh (I used frozen this time, it was okay, but fresh is better)
1 can chick peas or mixed beans (large can)
1/3 c red onion, chopped fine
2 T fresh dill (dried is okay)

Dressing: 2 T red wine vinegar, 2 T olive oil, 1 T sugar, 1 T dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook green beans 3 or so minutes, drain and chill under cold water. Add other beans, mix with dressing and let sit for a while before serving.

Hummus
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c sour cream
2 T Tahini (I don't use this - keep meaning to buy it, though!)
2 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest
2 t garlic, minced
1/2 t sesame oil
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander

Blend in food processor. Serve with raw veggies, crackers, pita crisps, whatever you have on hand.

Incidentally, both of these recipes originate from my good friend Cory.... who I miss often and didn't get to see when we were in Winnipeg. She is an amazing hostess, homemaker, mom, and friend.. I always enjoyed hanging out with her! Many of my favorite recipes came from casual meals at Cory's place.

Our other domestic project has been Sydney's room, which had a domino effect throughout the house and resulted in other projects everywhere. Here is a glimpse:



Yes, the room is very, very pink. Syd chose the colors. She has a very small room for her bed, and then the above photos are in the 'sitting room'. The two rooms are connected. by a doorway, though. She's been home for three days, so it no longer looks like this!

Unfortunately, our poor yard is still unattended. We'll get there yet!

What I'm not reading, and "stuff"

I haven't been doing any 'spiritual' reading lately. Not a devotional book, not the Bible, nada. I'm sort of disappointed with myself, because I usually do spend time reading those... especially on vacation. Normally, I come away from vacations filled up with some insight or new learning, something that energizes me for weeks afterward. Not this time. Hmmm. I don't like it. I feel sad about it.

While I've not been reading, (at least very recently), I've been at home sorting and decluttering and re-organizing our house. Sydney is now in the basement, and the office is in the process of coming upstairs in the recently vacated spare room. I'm amazed at the stuff we have. Actually I'm amazed at the s**t we have.

Granted, the move here was quick and we didn't really sort anything, we just threw things into boxes and threw the boxes onto a U-Haul .. I started work after living here for two days, and so we'd still not really unpacked a lot of stuff. (Who knew a year was so short?!) But still, I'm trying to be self-evaluative here, and I keep asking myself: "Kelly, why did you ever bring this into the house? What makes you think you need this? Why are you looking to make space for this?"

The answer is inevitably something that starts with 'what if....' or 'maybe....' As in 'maybe at thanksgiving, I'll fill this wicker cornucopia thing with fallen leaves and autumn florals' or 'what if I get really crafty someday and then I'll need these needles/pieces of fabric/ribbons/10 year old pine cones' .... WHO do I think I'm fooling? I've carted around tons of CRAP for years!! And, yes, I sometimes use it, but mostly, it just moves from house to house - but not only that, it GROWS from one house to the next. I really want to stop this behaviour. I think I might need an intervention.

The one thing I defend (at least for now) is BOOKS. I love books. And I've read at least half of the books I own. Maybe even more. Someday I'll read them all. Really, I will.

Home Sweet Home

Aaahhh.
Tonight Bren and I will sleep in our own bed. In our own house. We've had a marvelous time away, but it is really good to be home!
Here is a brief glimpse of the past two weeks: (photos will come... either here or on fb!)

We started out by taking three days to get to the Whiteshell, so we stayed in Yorkton then in Neepawa before arriving in Winnipeg for a lunch at Brendan's mom and dads, then on to the Whiteshell. We discovered that as a family we're ready to move on from hotels with pools/waterslides. The Bed and Breakfast route is awesome. In Neepawa, we stayed at Vivian's house on Vivian Street. She was a great host!

Our week at the lake was awesome. We had tons of fun, relaxed a lot, and ate like royalty. This week of vacationing together is truly a gift. It's challenging to pull off for many reasons, but each year is a poignant reminder of why its so important. Highlights were the Pine Point hike and the three littlest family members. Eryka is outrageous (one night she was caught in her sister's bassinet, sucking on a soother after having sprayed mosquito spray in her mouth. When Lisa checked if she was asleep, she whispered that her mouth was too spicy to be sleeping. She is full of something....!!) TJ is such a sweetie, it was awesome to just watch him interacting with everyone, his big eyes taking it all in. Haily is too cuddly and cute. I loved putting her to sleep and watching the big kids act all ga-ga with her. Pine point is awesome mostly because Paul seems to love taking us all out there.. he grew up sliding down those rapids and its great to see him passing on that same love to his nephews and nieces. There were tons of other highlights too, but I'm trying to be brief...!!!

We were in Winnipeg for two whirlwind days, then Bren and I took two days to get home. We came through the Duck Mountains and stayed at a B & B in Kamsack the first night. We visited many small towns, shopped a bit, went to several museums, and learned a lot about our province. It was good to be together and to go wherever the wind blew us. In Watson, we had a long talk with an older gentleman who owns a very unique little hardware store. People are so interesting!

Before the kids get home, we want to address some un-done things from when we first moved in, get Sydney's room ready for her return, and shuffle the spare room/office space. There is lots to do.. oh, and the yard needs a lot of attention too!

A quick note about holiday reading: I borrowed a book called The Source (James Michener) from the Bethany library before leaving... its a fictional account of the story of Israel, but the history is accurate.. I've been learning lots and have been captivated. It's not an easy, fluffy read, but its so worth it. Bren can't remember me taking so much time with a book, but there is a lot of info in each chapter! I recommend it highly!

a wee bit disappointed...

After not having internet for a week, I arrived at Brendan's parents place excited to log on - partially because I'm addicted to the computer and can't even make financial decisions without consulting my online account, but also because I really expected to check my emails and find that there were a few applicants for 2 jobs we posted on Bethany's website last week.... The flood of responses I expected (haha) wasn't there, so here I am, wondering if anyone knows interested persons who are dying to work at Bethany... in the business office or in facilities.. feel free to encourage friends and family to check out our website, http://www.bethany.sk.ca/. Click on jobs...
I'll be checking my emails...
:)